Psychology 101B        Introduction to Psychology

Spring 2004    

Instructor: Dr. Lee Osterhout

Kane Hall, Room 120, 9:30-10:20 Monday - Friday

 

CLASS SCHEDULE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

 

Date     Topic                                                    Required Readings                                           

3/29      Introductory Remarks                            Syllabus

3/30      Psychology as a Science                        Chapter 1 (pages 19-46)

3/31      Psychology as a Science           

4/1        Behavioral Neuroscience                       Chapter 2

4/2        Behavioral Neuroscience

 

4/5        Behavioral Neuroscience

4/6        Behavioral Neuroscience

4/7        Questionnaire Day

4/8        Human Development                             Chapter 4 (pages  135-188)       

4/9        Human Development                            

 

4/12      Human Development

4/13      EXAM 1: Chapters 1, 2, 4                

4/14      Sensation                                              Chapter 5 (pages 195-211)

4/15      Perception                                            Chapter 6 (pages 231-257)

4/16      Perception                                           

 

4/19      No Class

4/20      Consciousness                                       Chapter 7 (pages 265-304)

4/21      Consciousness

4/22      Consciousness

4/23      Consciousness

 

4/26      Learning                                               Chapter 8 (pages 309-335)

4/27      Learning

4/28      Learning

4/29      Learning

4/30      EXAM 2: Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8

 

5/3        Memory                                                Chapter 9

5/4        Memory

5/5        Memory

5/6        Language and Thought                          Chapter 10

5/7        Language

 

5/10      Language

5/11      Motivation                                             Chapter 12

5/12      Motivation

5/13      Motivation

5/14      Motivation

 

5/17      EXAM 3: Chapters 9, 10, 12

5/18      Personality                                            Chapter 15

5/19      Personality

5/20      Psychological Disorders                         Chapter 16

5/21      Psychological Disorders

 

5/24      Psychological Disorders

5/25      Psychological Disorders

5/26      Therapy                                                Chapter 17

5/27      Therapy

5/28      Social Psychology                                  Chapter 18

 

5/31      No Class: Holiday

6/1        Social Psychology

6/2        Social Psychology

6/3        EXAM 4: Chapters 15, 16, 17, 18

6/4        Review for Final Exam

 

6/9        (8:30-10:20) OPTIONAL FINAL EXAM (cumulative)

 

 

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

 

1. Instructional Staff

 

Name                                                   Phone               Office                           Office Hours (TBA)

Instructor, Lee Osterhout                       543-4177           Guthrie 225

T.A., Amy Guthormsen                         685-2906          

T.A., Ilona Pitkanen                              685-2906          

T.A., Anjali Kumar                                685-2906          

 

2. Class e-mail and phone contact information.  The class email is p101b@u.washington.edu.  Please use this email to contact us concerning all aspects of the class, your grades, etc.  You may also contact us by phone, by calling the INTRO PSYCH MESSAGE LINE (operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week): 685-2906. You can leave a voice message if no one answers the phone when you call, and your call will be returned. You may also e-mail me (Dr. Osterhout) at losterho@u.washington.edu. However, given the number of students in class, I would respectfully request that you not abuse this privilege. Also, given the large numbers of emails that I receive each day, I will probably not be able to respond to your email for at least several days, and perhaps longer.

 

3. Websites.  Important course-related information (including practice exams and answer keys to exams) can be found at: http://faculty.washington.edu/losterho/psych101.htm.   The textbook publisher provides an extremely useful website for studying purposes at http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/myers7e/default.asp. Follow the directions on the webpage to access this site.  If you would like to know more about Dr. Osterhout’s research interests, you can check out his lab website at http://faculty.washington.edu/losterho/erplab.htm

 

4. Purpose of Course.  We will review the various areas of inquiry within the field of psychology, such as biopsychology, developmental psychology, cognition, clinical psychology, and social psychology. In this introduction to psychology, breadth will necessarily be stressed over depth.

 

5. Textbook.  Required: D. Myers (2004). Psychology (Seventh Edition), Worth Publishers. 

 

6. Grading Policies

 

     a. Midterm Exams. There will will be four midterm exams. Exams 1-3 will consist of 33 multiple choice questions, worth 1 point each. Exam 4 will consist of 34 multiple choice questions. These exams will be non-cumulative. Exam questions will be based both on lecture material, and on the assigned readings, even if these readings were not covered in class lectures.

Exam 4: CANNOT BE DROPPED

Exams 1, 2, 3: Your lowest score will be automatically dropped

This will yield a total of 100 points (exam 4 grade, plus your highest 2 grades from exams 1, 2, and 3).

Note:  Exam grades will be posted on the course website and in the basement of Guthrie Hall as soon as possible after each exam. 

 

     b. Optional Final Exam: This exam will be given at the officially scheduled time during Finals week, and will be worth a total of 33 points. It will cover the entire course (lectures plus readings). Your score on this exam will be used to replace the lowest grade from the non-dropped midterm exams, but only if your Final Exam grade is better than the lowest non-dropped midterm exam grade. NOTE: YOU CANNOT HURT YOUR GRADE BY TAKING THE FINAL EXAM, since it only counts if you do better on it than on a non-dropped midterm exam

 

     c. Appeal Procedure: If your answer to an exam question is marked as being incorrect but you feel it is correct, you may contest the question by writing an appeal. INDICATE WHICH QUESTION YOU ARE APPEALING, THE ANSWER THAT WE THINK IS CORRECT AND THE ANSWER THAT YOU THINK IS BETTER, PLUS A RATIONALE FOR WHY YOU THINK YOUR ANSWER IS BETTER. The written appeal must be based on material presented in the book or in a lecture (please indicate page number of text or date of lecture). The appeal must be e-mailed to p101b@u.washington.edu BEFORE THE DATE OF THE NEXT EXAM.  The TAs will review each appeal and give credit if appropriate.

 

     d. Extra Credit. Extra credit points can be earned by serving as a research subject in projects approved by the Department of Psychology for that purpose. You will be given more information during the first two weeks of the quarter. The general procedure is as follows: Consult the bulletin board in the basement waiting area of Guthrie Hall (located immediately below the lobby of Guthrie). This board lists times and locations of available experiments. Make sure to write down the time and location of the experiment you sign up for, and make sure to show up for the experiment.

 

7. Course Grades

The exams yield a total of 100 points. At the end of the term, grade points will be assigned according to the grading scale shown below. You should view this as a "guaranteed minimum scale" (i.e., if you achieve a given percentage, your grade will not be lower than that indicated here):

 

Point                 Course              Point                 Course              Point                 Course             

Total                 Grade               Total                 Grade               Total                 Grade

93-100              4.0                    80                     2.7                    68                     1.5

90                     3.7                    78                     2.5                    66                     1.3

88                     3.5                    76                     2.3                    63                     1.0

86                     3.3                    73                     2.0                    60                     0.7

83                     3.0                    70                     1.7                    0-59                  0.0

 

8. What to do on Exam Days

     a. Bring picture ID with signature to exam. You must bring identification to all exams bearing your picture and your signature (e.g., driver's license). If you do not have such identification, you can obtain a card through the State of Washington Driver's License Bureau.

     b. Mark Sense Forms. In order to take the exam, you must have a "mark sense" form so that your test can be computer-graded. Mark sense forms can be purchased at the UW bookstore. We will not be supplying mark sense forms!

     c. Materials needed for exam. Be sure to bring to each exam the following five items:  mark sense form; soft lead #2 pencil with eraser; student identification number; seat assignment; picture ID with signature

     d. Assistance with study skills. If you would like help with your study skills, please see one of the instructional staff, or you may contact the University Counseling Center at 401 Schmitz Hall (phone 543-1240)

     e. Make-up Exams. Since students are allowed to drop one exam, make-up exams will only be given in certain restricted cases. You must see the instructor for permission to take a make-up exam.

     f. Exam Ethics. Please remember that looking at other students’ exams, using notes, or any other behavior indicating outside assistance constitutes cheating. If we see you cheat, you WILL receive a grade of zero for that particular exam and the Dean’s office will be informed.

9. Recorded Lectures.  Each lecture is recorded and made available for listening in Odegaard Undergraduate Library. See the instructor or a TA for more information.

10. Some Requests Regarding Class Meetings.  I very much enjoy an atmosphere in which students ask questions and participate as much as possible. SO, please don’t hesitate to ask questions during class -- that lets me know you are interested and involved in the material!

However, PLEASE COME TO CLASS ONLY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING. If you want to chat with friends, read the newspaper, listen to your new CD, etc., please go elsewhere. No one is taking attendance. Also, please try to arrive on time, and leave early only in emergency situations.

 

Welcome to Psychology 101!